


Between the Sea and Sky

by Anonymous_Ostrich



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Pirate AU, implied makoharu, implied sourintori, so watch out for that, this might very well earn a mature rating later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-19 23:43:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4765388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous_Ostrich/pseuds/Anonymous_Ostrich
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rei Ryugazaki is a Naval officer working on an English merchant vessel when it is overtaken by the dreaded pirate ship <i>Iwatobi</i>, and he is taken aboard their ship to serve as their new sailing master. Although initially Rei is adamantly against his new position, he soon warms up to the crew - their bright-eyed, blonde-haired rigger in particular.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There was a light breeze coming from the East. Although there hadn't been a cloud in the sky a few hours ago, tonight the sky was thick with them and the moon - which should have been lighting their way - was completely blanketed, its light peering through the clouds now and again when it so fancied. Rei wished it wasn't so cloudy. It was always much more difficult to navigate when he was denied starlight.

As he folded up his map and pocketed it, he realized he was worrying for nothing. They were on the right course. If they continued on this way, so long as nothing unforeseen altered their course, they would be docking in London by morning. Rei was relieved. They had been sailing for eleven days now and Rei was in passionate need of a proper bath and intelligent company. He had come to find that common sailors were not the cleanest of folk, or the most proper. He had only served on vessels carrying noted commanders, lieutenants and lords up until now, where the gentleman were firmly and thankfully separated from the rest of the riffraff that usually made up a Navy ship; now, no such nobility was around to enforce law and order, and Rei felt as though he had been thrown to the wolves. Dirty, cursing, card-playing wolves. And my God, the way they spoke of women. Rei couldn't believe such men existed.

The quarterdeck had been empty moments ago, but now Rei noticed three men carrying an empty crate toward him, bottles of whiskey wedged in their armpits, one of them producing a game board from his jacket. As they sat the crate on the deck and laid out the game board, Rei adjusted his cravat and turned to leave, eager to get some sleep before they made berth. The only thing he was truly grateful for was that he shared a room with only one other crew-mate - the quartermaster, who had also been recommended for the expedition from Rei's commander - so he didn't have to worry about sleeping among a pile of slobbering scallywags.

"Oy, Ryugazaki, right?"

Rei thought to continue walking and ignore the call, but he couldn't fathom being that rude on purpose. He stiffly turned, regarding the men who were sitting around the crate setting up game pieces. One of the men was smiling in his direction. Rei realized uneasily that he could count the amount of visible teeth on one hand.

"I heard you was assigned to us from Commander Sera, yeah?" the man asked him, gesturing for Rei to come closer and join them. Rei pretended not to see.

"Ah, yes, that's right."

"Heard you guided the Nightingale through some really dangerous waters, even though the map was wrong. That true?"

Rei's shoulders rolled behind his ears and he pushed his eye glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "Yes, that's right. I was assigned to this vessel because apparently not many ships make it back along this route."

"Crikey," one of them said, taking a swig of whiskey, "You're our savior, huh?"

_Commander Sera couldn't care less about a group of dirty sailors,_ Rei thought crossly, _I believe he was much more concerned about the two-hundred pounds of satin bolts you're transporting._

"I wouldn't go that far," Rei answered with a forced laugh. "It's been a challenge, but it wasn't nearly as difficult a journey as I thought it would be." Clearing his throat, Rei nodded to the men, hoping to make his escape. "All the same, we'll go our separate ways in the morning. Until then, I'll be taking my leave-"

"Don't be like that, Ryugazaki," one of the men crowed, already rosy-nosed. "join us for a nightcap! We got whiskey, dirty stories and a game with half its bloody pieces!"

"Ahh, no thank you," Rei said politely. _I can smell you from here, I'm not sure how I'd fare up close_. "I'm quite tired. I'll be going to my room now. Good night, gents." Before any of them could call him back, Rei hurried off below deck. One more night. Only one more night, and he could resume his life as normal. He wasn't built for long stints on the ocean. He loved navigation, map-making and charting stars, but the Royal Navy ships he served on were never usually sea-worthy for longer than five days at a time. Next time he was recommended for a job like this, he would have to summon the courage to politely decline, no matter the pay.

Rei lay down to sleep, grateful that his journey was almost at an end. Had he stayed on the quarterdeck for a bit longer, he might have seen the break in the clouds, the dark silhouette of a ship approaching them from behind as the black pirate sails unfurled and strained against the breeze.

.

.

.

Rei wasn't an incredibly sound sleeper. Many things on sea voyages tended to wake him. Loud brawls, a storm, the sound of men shouting and carrying on above deck; one sound he'd never woken to was cannon fire.

The first hit threw him off of his cot and to the floor, the lantern hanging from the wall crashing to the ground near him. Flustered, Rei shakily scrambled to his feet and got his bearings; the boat felt unsteady under his feet, and he could hear panicked shouting from above. The quartermaster was nowhere to be seen. Rei grabbed his glasses from the bedside and dressed himself in a blind hurry, finishing just in time to feel the impact of the second cannon. He was launched against the door, the frail wood opening under his weight and emptying him onto the stairs with an ungraceful thud.

Gunfire sounded intermittently amidst the shouts and yells. Rei feared he knew exactly what was going on, but he wasn't sure what to do. It was surely pirates. The reason this route was so dangerous was because it was a popular trading route, which attracted pirates like bees to a flower. Rei had been recommended to find alternative routes, and he'd been more than confident in his calculations. The journey had taken two extra days because of it, and it seemed like it had all been for nothing.

The cannon fire seemed to have ceased, but the sounds of fighting persisted. Rei had never been in a fire fight nor had he ever expected to be forced to partake in one, and furthermore, he had hoped to avoid one if possible. He'd skated through his firearm training, focusing mostly on ship maintenance, geography and navigation, never expecting his job would require combat. Regardless of his experience, he knew he had to do what he could to protect the ship and its cargo. His commander had trusted him with this job. He couldn't bear the shame of returning to the Navy after having lost two-hundred pounds of satin in his charge. Then again, he realized grimly, his chances of returning were dwindling with each gunshot he heard. Not many crews survived pirate ambushes.

As he was, he was tragically unarmed. His first order of business was obtaining a pistol and seeing about the satin. He wasn't sure if he could hold his own against blood-thirsty pirates, but it was better than waiting for his death like a coward.

Climbing the stairs and exiting onto the lower deck, Rei was immediately met with a disappointing scene. There were already several bodies strewn about the deck - presumably merchant sailors, but he couldn't be completely sure - and the clashing of steel had taken the place of those scattered gunshots. It seemed like ammo had already run low. The moon was still covered in dastardly clouds, making the deck practically pitch-black; it was hard to see who was fighting whom, or for that matter, who was winning. Trying to use the cover of darkness to his advantage, Rei maneuvered around the struggling bodies, hoping he was heading toward the ship's meager armory.

Rei could now see the ship that had overtaken theirs; it was hard to miss. At full mast it was clearly a pirate ship - black flags and all - a formidable looking Galleon currently connected to their modest vessel via a wide gangplank. He could see that there were several bodies carrying crates along the gangplank - the satin, Rei thought irritably - amongst the chaos. He had to hurry before they took all of it away.

A stray elbow caught Rei in the jaw and sent him falling to the deck. Dazed, he struggled to pull himself up just as he heard a strangely apologetic voice from above him.

"Ahh, sorry! I didn't mean to clock you… Oh, I mean, unless you were trying to sneak up on me? Either way, though, it was an accident…"

Rei adjusted his glasses and glanced up at his accidental attacker, confused. No crew member he'd sailed with recently was so polite as to apologize for something so ridiculous, but then again, no pirate he'd ever heard of would either. Rei squinted through the darkness to try and make out the tall figure extending a hand to help him up; worried it might be a trick of some kind, Rei stood up without help, brushing off his slacks.

"I wasn't sneaking up on you, but what are you-"

"Sorry, I really can't talk right now!" the man answered kindly. "We're kind of… Ahh, pillaging your ship. Get somewhere safe, okay?"

The man hurried away, rejoining his mates under the cover of night. Rei wasn't quite sure he was truly awake. He'd just had a run in with his first pirate, and not only had he survived it, but he'd been told to take cover. Looking around at the fighting still going on, he could only assume that not all of them shared their mate's misplaced kindness.

More mindful of his steps, Rei stayed low and continued toward the armory. The fighting had died down, which gave him no relief; it meant either there were not many left that could fight, or that the pirates were clearing out after getting what they wanted. Neither option was ideal. He picked up the pace, eager to get his hands on a gun.

The armory was thankfully unguarded but unfortunately gutted. Only a few blunt swords remained - useless to Rei, since he had never quite grasped the finer points of swordplay - and an old revolver with only one bullet.

"What am I supposed to do with _this…_?" Rei hissed angrily, loading the bullet. How could he possibly reverse a pirate ambush with one bullet? Either way, he didn't have a choice. He hoped the gun itself would be enough to demand surrender, but he doubted it.

As Rei stealthily entered the cargo hold, he thought he could hear a single voice coming from the bottom of the stairs; it might be possible to execute a proper ambush if there was only one pirate to worry about, and the possibility of acquiring another weapon - or a hostage - was a bright one. Rei followed the voice, his revolver at the ready.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, light flooded his eyes. A lively lantern illuminated the room, and a single shadow moved against the wall, a lithe figure who looked to be moving boxes around while - of all things - humming. If Rei could just catch him from behind, completely off-guard…

Rei silently made his way into the room, sticking to the shadows. He rounded the corner, the thief's back coming into view. He was shorter than Rei by nearly a head, blonde-haired and just as slender as his shadow. Rei felt confident he could take him without the use of his revolver. The boy looked to be moving the last of the cargo, still humming a jaunty tune as if he hadn't a care in the world.

As Rei carefully turned the corner, his shoulder accidentally bumped a bottle on a low wall shelf, knocking it over. In a panic, Rei flew back around the corner, pressing his back to the wall, his heart racing. The humming abruptly stopped and was replaced by a surprised yelp.

"Haah! Mako-chan? Is that you? Or Rin-chan, maybe? You scared the life out of me! Stop sneaking around, come help with these crates!"

Seeing his opportunity, Rei sucked in a breath and leapt out from his hiding spot, aiming his revolver. He had fully prepared a heroic speech and possibly a three-part explanation outlining the Sins of Piracy, but all of that was dashed away the moment a pair of large, frightened magenta eyes locked with his.

When Rei thought 'pirate', he generally recalled the disease-ridden, toothless, filthy ruffians he used to see in the prisons and hanging from the gallows back home. Pirates were sinful, thieving murderers who turned to crime because they were too pathetic to find an honest way to live. The boy before him _couldn't_ be a pirate. His eyes were bright and feminine, framed by long, delicate lashes. His mouth was pink, pursed in surprise, dangerous in its loveliness. His face was heart-shaped, boyish, all of his features maddeningly perfect. He was beautiful. His youthful, innocent appearance took Rei so off-guard that he absently lowered his gun.

"Ahh… Uh, sorry, I…" Wait, was he apologizing to a pirate? He readjusted his aim, trying to rid his mind of distracting thoughts. "No, I mean… Stop right there, unhand those crates! Uhh… They're the property of the Royal Navy, you… ahh… heathen…"

"You… you aren't really going to shoot me, are you?" the boy asked. Rei thought he could see a tremble in his smaller frame, and felt strangely wicked.

"Well…" Rei swallowed uncomfortably. "Not… unless I have to. So, call off your mates! Bring back what you've stolen, and, uhh…"

"I can't do that!" the boy exclaimed, wringing his hands together. "When the Captain has his mind set on something, _no one_ can go against him! I don't have a choice but to do as he says! So, please…"

Rei's aim slackened and his heart panged guiltily. Of course a bright-looking boy like this wouldn't be a pirate by choice. He was probably taken from his comfortable life, forced to live a life on the open seas. He'd heard that pirates were keen on kidnapping all kinds of people for their wicked purposes.

"Ah… I see. W-well, I still can't let your Captain kill our crew and take our goods… I was assigned to this ship to make sure that wouldn't happen."

"Ooh!" the boy looked suddenly intrigued. "That sounds important!"

Rei's chest puffed, his cravat swelling. "Well, I suppose it is. I'm one of the best navigators in the fleet. By next year, I might even outrank the sailing master I apprenticed under!"

The blonde boy clapped his hands together. "Wooow! That's a tough job! And when maps are so hard to come by…"

"My maps are second to none!" Rei said confidently, patting his breast pocket which contained his most valuable maps. "I was specifically asked to accompany these sailors because these waters are so difficult to navigate, and because the risk of piracy is… so…" Rei almost couldn't believe he'd gotten so off-topic. He raised his gun a third time, flustered. "Wait, we can't be chatting! Listen, I'm here to save the ship and its cargo! Are you going to help, or am I going to have to use lethal force?"

The boy raised his hands up, his large eyes shining with frightened tears. "Please! I've told you already, I can't change my Captain's mind! I'm like a lowly servant to them, I have no say in these matters!"

"Well then," Rei drew himself up, trying to look as commanding as possible. "I'll have to use you as a hostage to get them to relent!"

"They'd let me die!" the boy pleaded. "You do realize they're _pirates_ , right? I'm of no importance to them. They'd sooner let me die than give up even one single coin!" The boy's face was flushed a soft peach as he struggled to keep tears at bay. "Please, I don't want to die!"

Rei felt immediately discouraged. His only plan was failing miserably. What did he expect when he was only one man with one bullet?

"I…" Rei lowered his revolver. "I'm not going to kill you."

"R-really?" the boy asked hopefully.

"Really. However, I can't simply let your crew do as they please. I have to find a way to stop them."

A thoughtful silence fell over the cargo hold. Rei was in the midst of giving up entirely when the boy suddenly spoke up.

"I… I might have a plan."

Rei looked up at the boy, whose beautiful features were pulled into a determined expression.

"What is it?"

The boy blew a sigh through his rosy lips. "That revolver… How many bullets do you have for it?"

"Just the one," Rei said regretfully. "Hardly enough to make a difference."

"No, no… It's perfect, actually." the boy answered. He stepped toward Rei, looking up at him with worried eyes. "Give me the gun."

"W-what for?" Rei asked, suspicious.

The boy looked down, pulling his fists to his sides. "I… I'll kill the Captain with it."

"Wh- what?"

"It's the only way!" the boy exclaimed adamantly. "They'll never let anyone else get close enough, but he'll never suspect me. If the Captain is dead, there will be so much chaos they'll have to leave!"

"But what about you?" Rei asked, alarmed. "What will happen? Isn't that mutiny?"

"It doesn't matter what happens to me. You were kind enough to spare my life, so I want to return to favor."

"I don't think-"

The boy placed his pointer finger against Rei's lips to silence his protests; Rei felt the strangest of flutters in his chest, an unnamed heat rising into his jaw.

"Let me do this," the boy said, his fear replaced with a soft smile. "It will be okay, I promise." He tilted his head; up this close, Rei could swear the boy's hair was the exact color of sunlight. "What's your name?"

"Ah… R-Rei. Rei Ryugazaki."

The boy's smile brightened. "Rei-chan, huh? I'm Nagisa. I'm glad I could meet you."

Rei gulped. "Listen… Your plan makes sense, but I can't have you go out there alone. If you do this, I'll try and help in any way I can."

Nagisa's eyes widened, that deep magenta sparkling with wonder. "Rei-chan, really? You'll help?"

Rei nodded, handing the gun to Nagisa, who took it from him carefully. "I have to try. You're just as much a victim as I am, so I can't let you make a sacrifice like that."

"Rei-chan…" Nagisa almost looked like he could cry. "Thank you. Let's go quickly, before someone comes!"

"Right." Rei turned, ready to leave; somewhere in the clouded recesses of his brain, he realized what a foolish thing he'd just done.

A sharp pain struck Rei in the back of his head. His vision blackened and his body fell like a rag-doll to the floor. Barely conscious, Rei felt himself being turned over. His vision was greyed at the edges; something was rummaging around in his breast pocket, the touch oddly numbing.

"I _love_ the simple ones," came Nagisa's distant voice with a giggle. " _Woow_ , these really are some great maps, Rei-chan! They'll come in handy! Captain Haru-chan will be really happy~"

There was a sudden pressure on Rei's chest and a warmth near his face. Rei struggled to focus his rapidly fading gaze on the form floating so very close to his face; Nagisa smiled at him, his face tauntingly close, his lips pulled into a charming smile. He stroked the side of Rei's face with his pointer finger. "Still awake, Rei-chan?" he giggled. "Sorry for tricking you. You were really nice in the end though, you know. I feel like I should give you something good~"

Something soft and warm pressed against Rei's mouth. Rei couldn't react, his mind already hazy and far away; the warmth was sweet but fleeting, leaving him before he had time to process it. Just as he found his vision returning, Rei looked up to see Nagisa smiling at him impishly.

"Night night, Rei-chan~"

Those were the last words Rei heard before he was struck a second time, plunging him into dark silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All my longer AU fics are mostly Makoharu fics, which makes no sense considering _my OTP of all OTPs is Reigisa_. So I thought it was about time to start the pirate AU fic I'd had in my head ever since seeing that dumb beautiful official art. When I saw the picture, I immediately knew (based on the fact Rei is wearing something a pirate would rarely be caught dead in) I wanted Rei to be a naval officer, and sailing master made sense since he was holding a telescope.
> 
> Like Palace, this will be vaguely historically accurate, but not as plot heavy. :) _Unlike_ Palace, I couldn't be bothered to change their names even though they're all pretty obviously European pirates. T_T


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the light drizzle, the old autumn town, the northern light   
> From the big window, I can see the sea. I am alone.

Rei woke to a sharp pain in his head and something scampering across his boot. The latter made him attempt opening his eyes. He could barely see, his vision blurry from pain and lack of eyewear; Rei instinctively went to grab for his glasses, but immediately found that his arms were tightly bound behind him. He tried to lean forward, maybe hoist himself to his feet, but he was firmly held in place, tied to something. Rei fruitlessly struggled against his binds, the pain in his head doubling every time he moved. After several unsuccessful attempts at freeing himself, Rei gave up, slumping against the beam behind him.

Rei drew a long breath in through his nose and let it steadily out through his mouth. It was hard to remember how he had found himself in this situation. The last thing he remembered was waking to cannon fire, sneaking to the armory for a revolver, and then…

He opened his eyes, his head pounding in protest. Nagisa. The blonde, beautiful pirate he'd been foolishly tricked by in the cargo hold. Rei groaned in humiliation. How had he been so easily bamboozled? Had he really let a pair of big, yearning magenta eyes get the better of him so easily? He'd been putty in Nagisa's hand. More concerningly, he thought he could recall a hazy feeling right before he drifted into unconsciousness of a foreign warmth against his skin, a fleeting softness pressing against his mouth. The memory made him feel the strangest mixture of shame and excitement he'd ever felt. He was eager to rid himself of such a distasteful memory. If his Commander ever caught wind of this, he'd never live it down.

A dark shape moved in the corner, too blurry to make out, but Rei had worked on ships long enough to know a rat when he saw one. He was being held below deck somewhere, but he wasn't sure where. Although he couldn't see anything very well, it didn't look familiar in the least. Furthermore, why was he even still alive? A pirate had gotten the better of him, shouldn't he be dead? None of it made any sense.

"Oh, are you awake?"

An oddly recognizable voice sounded from the other side of the room. Rei looked up, seeing a tall, blurry figure approaching him. The man knelt in front of him, his gently smiling face coming into better focus. "Sorry about the rope, Captain's orders. How's your head? Does it hurt?"

Rei cleared his throat and drew himself up, determined to scrape up whatever was left of his dignity. "Where am I? What are you planning to do with me?"

"Ah, you're in the brig. I know that sounds bad, but it's actually one of the cleaner rooms we have down here!"

"Wait, do you mean to say I'm no longer on my ship?" Rei asked, distressed.

"Well…" The man rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "You're on the _Iwatobi_ , actually. Your ship wasn't looking too good when we left, so honestly I think you may have gotten the better deal."

The pain in Rei's head returned ten-fold. "I… I'm on a pirate ship?" he asked numbly.

"Ah… Yes," the man answered uneasily.

"I see. And for what purpose am I here, exactly? Are you to torture me? I'll have you know, I won't tell you anything!"

Though he was still a blurry mass, Rei could see the man hastily waving his hands. "No, nothing like that! Goodness…"

"Then what?" Rei demanded hotly. "What could a faithless group of curs possibly want of me?"

"That's… well…" The nervousness seemed to be radiating off of the tall man in waves. "A good sailing master is hard to come by. Good maps are even rarer. When Nagisa told the Captain about how accomplished you were, he decided to take you along."

"Nagisa?" Rei asked, his shame reemerging. "That conniving little liar! He completely tricked me!"

"Well, he did have a gun pulled on him…" the man put in.

Rei sighed deeply. "Excuse me, but… Where are my glasses? I can't see a thing. I would be… _grateful…_ if they were returned to me."

"Ah, sorry," The man moved to the side, grabbing up his glasses to carefully replace them on Rei's face, careful with the delicate chain. "I'm Makoto, by the way."

Along with his glasses came sudden, glaring clarity; the man called Makoto came into focus, smiling gently, his eyes an alarming shade of emerald green. Like Nagisa, he looked nothing like the barbaric, pillaging degenerates he was meant to represent, nor did he remotely resemble someone befitting a pirate ship. If Rei had seen him on the street, he might have assumed both Nagisa and Makoto were the sons of important men if not for the gold hoops in their ears and their choice of dress.

"Pardon me if I don't feel particularly inclined to introduce myself," Rei answered stiffly.

"I don't really blame you. You _are_ tied up, after all. Though… Nagisa already told me your name. Sorry." He chuckled.

Rei groaned. Could he hold _no_ dignity in this situation? He still couldn't believe he gave his full name to Nagisa so freely… "Fine, fine! So you want to kidnap me and keep me as your sailing master? Is that it?" Rei leveled Makoto a defiant glare. "What if I refuse?"

Makoto stood up, rolling his shoulder; Rei had a sudden fear that Makoto might have been feigning kindness all this time.

"That's for the Captain to decide. Now that you're awake and coherent, though, I need to tell the Captain so that he can talk to you himself. Do you think you can stand? If you need to lean on me, that's ok-"

"I can stand on my own just fine once you untie me from this post. Take me to your Captain, then, let's be done with this!"

.

.

.

.

To Rei's bitter disappointment, Makoto did not untie his hands. He was detached from the post and gently led out of the meager brig, one of Makoto's large hands holding steadily to his arm as they climbed the stairs to the lower gun deck.

The air was thick with noise and clatter. Rei was immediately intimidated by the amount of people he could see in the tight corridors; a couple dozen men were talking, laughing and shoving each other, some of them trying to work, others blatantly slacking off. Rei kept himself tight-lipped and rigid as they passed by; he couldn't help but notice that as Makoto drew near, the men seemed to become more stoic and calm, nodding to him in a friendly, respectful way. Rei glanced at Makoto from the corner of his eye. He looked so unassuming… Did he have a position that demanded respect?

"Oy, Makoto!" A voice called out among the chatter, and Makoto stopped, unintentionally yanking Rei into the spot beside him. A small group of powder-dusted men moved aside to allow a red-haired young man through, the only man who seemed wholly unaffected by Makoto's presence. He was sporting an annoyingly cocky grin, his teeth unnaturally pointed, his wild hair tied at the base of his neck in a short ponytail. He approached them, eyeing Rei with focused crimson eyes.

"Rin, what are you doing down here? I thought you would be up top, considering we took a little bit of damage last night."

Rei wasn't sure he wanted to know what had become of the other ship. He was sure he would be told either way.

Rin frowned. "You think I'm down here because I _wanna_ be? It's taken everything I have not to give Sousuke and Ai enormous amounts of shit when they're wallowing elbow deep in gunpowder. I was just checking for cracks down here, Mr. Quartermaster. I mean, I should really be making sure the boat isn't going to flood down here, right? I'm in no hurry to visit ol' Davy Jones, no thanks."

"I get it, sorry," Makoto chuckled.

"More im _port_ antly," Rin turned his sights to Rei, an irritatingly sneer pulling at his lips to expose those unsettling teeth, "This the guy we picked up?"

"' _Picked up_ '?" Rei was unable to stop himself. "I think the phrase you're looking for is 'ruthlessly and scrupulously abducted.'"

"Oh ho?" Rin leaned in close, causing Rei to unintentionally back up into Makoto. "I didn't realize Navy boys were so quick-witted. They never seem to get a word in as I'm _running them through_."

"Rin-"

"I heard you're some kind of really amazing navigator," Rin continued, still uncomfortably close. "You'd better be, you know. Or the Captain will have to…" Rin swiped his finger over his own throat and dramatically mimicked a last dying breath.

"Rin!" Makoto scolded more sternly. "Stop harassing him. We're trying to convince him to join us, and _not_ by threatening him."

Rin's expression hardened and he shot an accusatory glare at Makoto. "You think some stuck-up Navy boy is gonna see us as anything more than scoundrels?" he asked hotly. "You want him to join us so damn bad, just untie him. Or better yet, give him a weapon! See how fast he tries to kill us all in the name of his _higher-and-mightier-than-God_ Navy."

" _Rin_!"

"Fuck it," Rin waved his hand dismissively, sighing and turning away. "I've got better things to do than waste time on someone who might not even be alive by dinner. Have fun playing wet nurse, Makoto." Without staying to listen to whatever reprimand Makoto may have been planning, Rin walked away, heading back to the group of pirates he'd been speaking to before. Makoto sighed deeply.

"Sorry for that," Makoto said, moving forward. Rei's feet had felt so rooted to the ground he nearly stumbled to keep up. He refused to admit that Rin had managed to successfully unnerve him. "It shouldn't really be a surprise that pirates and the Royal Navy - or any variety of law for that matter - don't get on well. Rin's no exception, but… Well, he can be a bit blunt sometimes. Ah, he's our boatswain, though, and he's incredibly talented. Once you get to know him, he's not bad at all."

_Get to know him?_ Rei's mind was whirling. What was going on with this ship? Pirates who apologize, speak in full, coherent sentences and don't reek of death and body odor? Something was amiss. Something wasn't right. This wasn't the picture of piracy that he had been painted his whole life.

Rei said nothing as he was escorted through the gun decks to a set of stairs with a wooden door at the top. Makoto shouldered open the door, indirectly flooding Rei's eyes with sunlight. Turning his head away to relieve his burning eyes, Rei struggled to keep up with Makoto's regrettably longer strides as they made their way across the deck.

"The Captain wanted to talk to you in his cabin. We're nearly there now, so just… Ahh, be polite, okay? I mean, he _is_ the Captain of this ship and everything…"

"A Captain of _pirates_ demands no respect from me," Rei said peevishly, frustrated that his eyes were still burning. "I'll be civil, but I have no intention of joining you."

Makoto let out a weary sigh. "You may not have a choice, you know…"

"There's always a choice!" Rei said, though he distinctly felt as though his legs were shaking.

Somewhere in the unhinged recesses of Rei's normally tidy and sane mind, he couldn't help but wonder where Nagisa was during all of this. Wasn't he curious about the condition of his captive? He had, by all rights, been the one to capture the naval officer in the first place. For that matter, what job did Nagisa do on the ship? He looked so young, surely it couldn't be anything terribly important… Then again, he had been tasked with securing the satin, which definitely meant he was well-trusted. He was certainly good at swindling strangers. Those devilishly imploring eyes, fluffy golden hair, impish little smile, unfairly rosy cheeks… Those warm, inviting lips…

"Hey, you okay?" Makoto's voice made Rei start. They had stopped just outside a wide, decorative wooden door, Makoto staring down at Rei with concern in his eyes. "You looked sort of dazed all of a sudden. Is it your head?"

Putting aside the audacious fact that a pirate was worrying over his head wound, Rei cleared his throat and shook his head resolutely. "Ahh… No, no. I'm fine. Let us proceed."

Although Makoto looked tempted to say something, he turned away and rapped his knuckles against the door. A long silence answered them, so long that Rei was almost sure no one was inside the cabin; just as he was beginning to suspect Makoto of being a loon for waiting for so long, a stoic, strangely passive voice called from the other side of the door.

"Come in."

Makoto smiled and carefully pushed open the door, gently guiding Rei inside. Rei was introduced to a dim, cattywampus room organized like some kind of eccentric lord's treasure room. Gaudy furniture littered the cabin walls, none of them matching, all of them looking distinctly like they had been carved in different areas of the world. Books, baubles, gleaming weapons and strange, painted bones and feathers were covering the walls and furniture, giving the entire room the unsettling appearance of both wealth and voodoo in one go; a difficult feat, Rei supposed. An overdone cast-iron bathtub was standing at the back of the cabin - a rarity on _any_ kind of ship - filled midway with clear water. Next to the tub, a raven-haired young man was pulling on a long, dark Captain's coat. His hair looked wet; had he just gotten out of the bath?

"Captain, I've brought him. Is this a good time?"

The Captain turned, casting an aloof glance in Rei's direction. His face was shockingly youthful, much too young to be a feared and respected pirate Captain. His skin was pale and his eyes were a lovely almond shape, deep blue in color and startling in their cool intensity; his age aside, there was something about his manner that made Rei feel cautious around him. Almost nervous. It was hard to tell what he was thinking or feeling by looking at his face.

The Captain gestured to a wooden chair near to him, working to fasten his coat. Makoto gently nudged Rei forward, guiding him to his seat. Rei put up no resistance, standing as tall and proud as he could manage.

"Makoto, untie him," the Captain commanded in one of the least commanding voices Rei had ever heard. Makoto obliged, cutting Rei's binds with a flint knife from his pocket. Rei rubbed his wrists, eyeing the chair with slight disdain.

"Have a seat." the Captain suggested, and though Rei thought to refuse, he wasn't sure pushing his luck was such a good idea. He sat down, setting his hands in his lap.

The Captain stopped in front of Rei, resting a hand loosely on his hip. His expression was still unreadable, neither intimidating nor welcoming. Rei strangely felt like he was in trouble for something.

"My name is Haruka Nanase. I'm the Captain of this ship, the _Iwatobi_."

"Rei Ryugazaki. I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I'm not in the habit of sharing pleasantries with pirates," Rei answered curtly. Captain Haruka didn't seem to be irked by Rei's attitude in the slightest; he reached a hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a familiar folded map, tapping the corner of the parchment against the top of his hand. "You made these yourself, correct?"

Rei frowned. "Some of them," he answered. He _knew_ the worth of accurate maps, and he _still_ told Nagisa all about them. He'd been such a fool. "I'm sure you want them, and now you have them. What's the point in keeping me alive?"

"What's the point in keeping a man alive who can chart the way you do?" the Captain opened up the map, trailing a finger down the page. "I heard you're a very accomplished sailing master. Very educated."

"And you expect me to join you?" Rei asked bitterly.

"I'm not expecting anything," Haruka said, carefully folding up Rei's map and slipping it back into his pocket. "Pirates are known for stealing things, not for giving things back. We took you along for a reason. You are our new sailing master. That's all."

Rei felt oddly deflated. He had wanted to at least be allowed ample time to rebuke the Captain's demands.

"Well… What if I refuse, then?" Rei asked, lacking the resolve he'd hoped he could produce.

"You can't." the Captain replied easily.

"But-"

"Where do you expect to go? We're somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic. If you can't leave, you may as well work for me if you're here."

"I- bu- I'm _here_ because you people _kidnapped_ me!"

"I'm not sure what that has to do with anything. You're here, so you don't have a choice."

Rei let out a long sigh through his lips. Behind him, Makoto chuckled.

"Listen, Rei…" Makoto stepped up next to Rei, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know you have a lot of preconceived notions about pirates, and… Well, they tend to be true. But if you could set aside those ideas, I'm sure we can show you that Captain Haruka runs a different sort of ship. We're not exactly the evil band of murderers you think we are."

Although he didn't want to admit it, Rei had already noticed that. The _Iwatobi_ was beginning to up-heave many of Rei's assumptions about what it meant to be a pirate. Regardless of how youthful their Captain was or how kind the quartermaster seemed to be, however, they were still pirates. They had chosen a despicable path. At their core, Rei was positive they were nothing but rotten thieving scoundrels.

"Pirates are pirates. I've worked hard to get where I am, and I cannot turn my back on my Navy or my country. I refuse to join you. Kill me if you must, but I absolutely refuse to contribute to your wicked cause in any way."

Haruka was fussing with his cuffs and picking up a large, feathered hat from a jewel-covered dresser. "Makoto can show you where you'll be working and sleeping. If you have any questions, you may ask me if I'm not too busy."

"Are you _listening_?" Rei stood up from his seat, flustered. "I said I won't do it!"

"Then worry about escaping once we find land," Haruka said dispassionately. "For now, it's your only choice. I could lock you in the brig until you change your mind, but that would be boring. You strike me as the type who needs to stay productive in order to be happy. Be productive, then, and plan an escape if you really hate it so much." Haruka turned his cool gaze to Makoto after donning his hat. "You'll show him around, won't you?"

"Aye aye," Makoto answered with a smile. Captain Haruka turned away and strode to the door, exiting the room without another word, leaving Rei standing staring at the cabin door in a stunned silence.

"He… left us in _his_ cabin." Rei observed in bewilderment.

"Yes," Makoto said with a sigh. "He's always like that. Anyway, we should get a move on. I need to show you around, after all. Captain's orders!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick guide here for people who may not know a ton about the positions on a ship:
> 
> **Quartermaster** : Basically the second in command. The Disney version of Peter Pan popularized the idea that the 'first mate' was of great importance, and unfortunately it stuck. (In the book, Smee was actually the boatswain) In the absence of the Captain, the quartermaster had complete control of the ship. His job was usually to manage everyone else and make sure they were doing their jobs.
> 
> **Boatswain** : Also an important position. The boatswain looked after the ship, constantly checking on the wood, rigging, masts etc to make sure they were fit for travel. The boatswain could organize and lead shore parties to pick up supplies when needed without the Captain's permission. They could also be referred to as the 'bosun'. 
> 
> I'll add more as character's positions get mentioned. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A butterfly that was flying, stopped.  
> The flower's petal ripped and wilted.

Rei wasn't impressed. No, he absolutely wasn't. Having a navigation room didn't make any of this acceptable. Even if Commander Sera's ship didn't have the space for a navigation room, it didn't mean he would be tempted by something like this. He was not so shallow nor would ever stoop so low. _Never_.

"Nhg… Sorry, this room hasn't been used in a while. The door sticks a little. Give me a second here…" Makoto held the door handle and lurched back, shoving his shoulder more forcefully into the wood. It budged, creaking against his weight. One more push and it burst open, Makoto stumbling into the room. "Ah! Here we are. The navigation room."

Rei stepped inside, taking a long look around. The forced entry had caused dust to fly in every direction, some of it undoubtedly gunpowder; this room was situated above the magazine, so it was only natural. The windows were boarded up, blocking out the sun and making it hard to see where everything was. As Rei's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out a large table near the windows, a bookshelf miraculously filled with real books against the wall, and a terrestrial globe fixed to an old iron stand sitting by a rickety desk covered in ink-stains.

"I can't believe you have a navigation room on a _pirate_ ship," Rei said wondrously, shaking his head. "Why didn't you ever re-purpose the room into something you could use? Like storage, or more sleeping quarters for the crew?"

Blowing some dust off of the desk, Makoto smiled. "The Captain keeps the ship tidy, so we haven't needed additional storage. Honestly, we've never needed it for anything, and there was always the hope that we could recruit a decent navigator."

Rei curiously inspected the globe, wiping a thick layer of dust off of Western Europe. "Why does this ship even _have_ a navigation room? I can see she's a large ship, but they aren't terribly common regardless of a ship's size." Rei frowned down at the globe, turning it. "Good lord, this globe is so old the Americas are absent."

"We're not sure, either. Captain Haruka is the third pirate captain of this ship, and it's been here since the beginning. She was a Navy warship before then, so I'm sure they had intended to make full use of it." Makoto put his hands on his hips, heaving a sigh. "Well? It could use some cleaning, but will it do?"

Rei pulled absently on one of the boards blocking the port window; it wiggled between his fingers easily. "Yes, I think so. Plenty of space to work, big windows for charting stars, _perfect_ for-" Nearly choking on his own words, Rei realized what he was saying and felt a hot wave of shame wash over him. What was he _doing_? "N-no! It won't do, because I'm _not_ staying here! I'm no pirate, and have no plans to become one!"

Chuckling, Makoto swiped his fingers through his hair. "Dang, I thought I had you there."

"It's just that… None of this makes any sense. I'm getting confused because none of you are acting like _pirates_. I thought if I was ever taken by pirates I'd be tortured, killed, or _worse…_ Pirate Captains are supposed to be terrifying, weathered sea dogs, all beard and gold! The crew are meant to be bloodthirsty, indecent scoundrels!"

"Well, I'm sure there are some mates who fit that description, you'll have to check. We have a big crew." Makoto laughed, sitting on the desk. "Listen, Rei… I know this is all a lot to take in. I'm not going to pretend that we _didn't_ kidnap you, or steal everything of worth from that merchant ship. We're pirates. That much is true. You come from a world where pirates are punished and demonized, so I'm not surprised you've thrown all of us into that narrow description. But believe me when I tell you this: Haruka runs a unique ship. We're a band of people who life wasn't kind to. Most of us had no choice but to become pirates, but that doesn't make all of us bad people. We do what we have to do to survive, same as you."

"A pirate is a pirate," Rei said, lacking conviction. "Regardless of the reason, I can't forgive burglary or murder. It's wholly unforgivable."

Makoto smiled kindly, nodding. "I understand."

A short silence fell over the dusty room, a baseless guilt swimming in Rei's gut. Makoto hopped off of the desk, heading for the door. "Well, you can come back here later, if you'd like. I'll help you clean up, if you're interested… For now, we've got more to see. I'll show you where you'll be sleeping, eating, and everything else."

"A-ah, right," Rei cleared his throat and followed, lugging his guilt with him.

.

.

.

The tour of the ship took nearly two hours. From the store rooms to the upper decks, Makoto showed him everything of note, including the crew's space where he would be sleeping. Rei didn't care for the idea of sleeping among pirates, but he didn't have much choice in the matter. Just like Captain Haruka said, there was nothing he could do about it when they were sailing in the middle of the ocean. The _Iwatobi_ was to be his home until he could find some means of escape. As soon as they docked somewhere, Rei was determined to find some way of getting away. If anything, the naivety of these pirates might even benefit him in the end.

He was casually introduced to much of the crew as they made their rounds, but Rei didn't retain any names. He was distracted. More than once he'd thought to ask Makoto about Nagisa, but each time he decided against it and tried to push the blonde little thief from his mind. It wasn't working. Rei couldn't understand why he was dwelling on him in the first place. Did he want to settle things? Tell him off? He wasn't sure. Either way, he wished he could stop thinking about him.

"Well, that's everything. Any questions?" Makoto's voice dragged Rei out of his thoughts abruptly as they were crossing the forecastle deck. He stopped in front of Rei, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, I think I understand everything. Thank you." Rei inwardly cursed himself for accidentally thanking a pirate, no matter how helpful he'd been.

"How's your head?" Makoto asked worriedly. Rei gently touched the sore section of his head with his fingers, reminded of Nagisa yet again in a much more painful manner.

"It still hurts, but I believe I'm fine."

"Still, you should probably rest for a bit. We've been doing a lot of walking, after all. Can you find your way back to the sleeping quarters?"

"I think I can manage."

The sun was drawing nearer to the surface of the ocean, pitching the sky into hues of darker blues and deep reds. The stars would be out soon. He could easily predict their course by studying the stars, but he wasn't sure that was necessary. The pirates didn't seem to be hiding anything from him, after all. Still, it would sooth his nerves. If he was being permitted to take a nap, he may as well take one and spend his night stargazing.

Rei realized how tired he actually was as he began his descent down the stairs to the crew quarters. The closer he got, the more his vision began to swim and blur; it must have been a mixture of stress and his head injury. Perhaps he should have had Makoto lead him back after all.

As Rei reached the bottom step, his vision blackened and he felt floaty and far-away. He almost thought he had been plunged into lukewarm water until he felt a pair of arms grab him from behind, pulling him to the surface. Before he could think to ask who was there, Rei found himself drifting off.

.

.

.

The ship's hull was creaking gently against the rocking waves, a familiar sound. Rei was swaying lightly, almost soothingly; he felt oddly well-rested, though his head still ached.

Rei opened his eyes. He was staring at the underside of a cot. He could tell that he was laying in a bunk bed. Somehow or other, a blanket had been laid over him.

"You awake, sleepy head?"

A voice spoke close to his left, and Rei turned to see a boy perched at his bedside, smiling at him. His presence was so unexpected that Rei sat bolt upright, his head nearly colliding with the bunk above him; his unwelcome visitor stopped him by the shoulders, saving him from a potential second head injury.

"Whoa, careful, Rei-chan! Don't conk your head again, or you'll be in trouble!"

Rei wasn't sure what to say. That head of blonde hair, those bright, earnest eyes, those rose-dusted cheeks and alluring pink lips; Nagisa looked exactly the same as when Rei had found him in the hold, every annoyingly attractive detail burned into Rei's memory.

"Wh- what are you-" Rei tried to pull himself together, still stuck in a haze of incoherence. In lieu of words, Rei pushed Nagisa's hands off of him, struggling into a proper sitting position. Nagisa blinked at him, but didn't look particularly offended. "How did I get here? Why are _you_ here?"

"You don't remember?" Nagisa asked, his smile returning. "You almost passed out on the stairs! I was right there when it happened, so I helped you get to a bed. You went right to sleep. You must have been really tired after everything that's happened, huh?"

Rei frowned and adjusted his eyeglasses. "Everything that's happened has been _your_ fault! How do you think I got the head injury to begin with?"

"You had a gun!" Nagisa rebutted with a pout. "Drastic times call for drastic measures, you know."

"It isn't just that. You _lied_ to me. You tricked me, you made a fool of me! And now, because of you, I've been forced into piracy!"

"Rei-chan-"

"Move aside." Rei snapped. "I'm perfectly well rested now, and I have no interest in keeping you company, nor do I desire yours."

Nagisa wordlessly moved out of the way, allowing Rei to get up and straighten his vest. He'd almost hoped Nagisa would say something to defend himself or his actions, apologize or even just make some sort of joke, but he said nothing. That same guilt Rei had felt earlier came rushing back, sitting uncomfortably in his gut. Rei cleared his throat, turning his head to view Nagisa sitting at the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.

After a moment of internal wrestling, Rei spoke. "Was _any_ of what you told me true? All of that about being a lowly servant..." he asked stiffly. Nagisa looked up at Rei, not bothering to hide his surprise. His lips pulled into an apologetic smile.

"Not really," Nagisa admitted. "Like you said, I kind of… tricked you. Sorry." He chuckled guiltily. "I'm a rigger, mostly. I help out where I can."

"No one forced you to join?" Rei asked, feeling his temper rise.

"Ah- Well, no, not _forced_."

"I see. So, does your Captain bring you along on raids because of your uncanny ability to make well-meaning seamen feel pity for you?"

Nagisa cringed a little with his answer. "That's not… _entirely_ inaccurate…"

"Good lord…" Rei pressed his palm to his forehead, putting a lid on his shame. "I can't believe I was so thoroughly duped…"

"That's not _too_ bad, is it?" Nagisa asked, standing up. "You know, I've used that tactic on lots of sailors before, but you were the only one who offered to help support me. You were really willing to help me take on the Captain, weren't you?"

Rei groaned in embarrassment. "Don't remind me…"

"I think that means you're a really kind person." Nagisa grinned, swinging his arms behind his back.

"Do you typically _knock out_ and _abduct_ kind people?" Rei asked grumpily.

"I said I was sorry!" Nagisa said. "Besides, I'm not the one who carried you aboard. That was Rin-chan."

"Rin… Ah, I believe I've met him. He didn't seem very keen on having me along."

"He _really_ doesn't like the Navy. He's a very good person once you get to know him, though!"

Rei sighed deeply, looking away from Nagisa's smiling face. He wasn't sure how to master his current emotions. Every time he felt like he should be angry - which he had _more_ than a right to be - somehow he would lose his edge and dissolve into placidity. Rei didn't like this new feeling of complacency. It was almost frustrating that he'd been treated so fairly thus far; it gave him a false sense of ease that made it difficult to maintain bitterness with his situation.

"Why did you bring me along, really?" Rei asked softly, avoiding Nagisa's eyes. Nagisa cocked his head curiously.

"Why?" he tapped his chin with a narrow finger, eyes rolling upward. "Well… You told me about your maps, and how important you are! I knew Captain Haru-chan would be really happy if we had our very own super-talented sailing master, so-"

"I thought as much." Rei turned away, straightening his cravat. "Let me make myself clear: I have no intention of being a pirate. As soon as the opportunity presents itself, I'm going to escape this ship and return to the Navy, so there's no need for me to feign friendship with any of you."

"Rei-chan, you didn't let me-"

"One last question for you," Rei boldly cut him off, his ears heating up in embarrassment. "When you… knocked me out last night, I seem to recall… Ahh, that is, did you happen to… ah…"

"Mm?" He didn't have to see Nagisa's face to know the boy was smiling; Rei flushed harder and absently touched a finger to his own mouth, reliving the feeling.

"That is… N-nevermind. Excuse me."

Without casting another look in Nagisa's direction, Rei made his way to the stairs and hurried to the upper deck, feeling distinctly as though his face were on fire. Behind him, Nagisa was grinning like a cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come onnnnn Rei. Just give in already. You're surrounded by charming pirates, just give up and go with the flow!
> 
> Somehow I think it might take a little bit more convincing.


End file.
